As a kid I was obsessed with Maria Montez's Arabian fantasy films. She was named the Queen of Technicolor, and boy did she looked ravishing in bright saturated hues, whether wearing a tropical island’s sarong of an intricate gown from an exotic kingdom. For a while they showed all her films in national television on weekends (long, long ago kids!) and I remember once I refused to go on vacations with my family not to miss the weekly showing. My father was fuming. Of course all those Universal films were really bad, and I dare you try to watch them today with a straight face. Like this one Cobra Woman. Yet, there’s a naivete to them that makes them endearing. I’m finishing a book on her, called Maria Montez in Hollywood that is highly recommended, and had inspired this artwork. It’s an account of the raise to fame in the 40s Hollywood of an ambitious immigrant from Dominican Republic with big dreams. She was mocked for her thick accent but her films were crowd pleasers and BO successes. She is not well remembered today, but I’ll always have a place in my kid’s heart for Maria. #mariamontez #cobrawoman #universal #arabianfantasy #queenoftechnicolor #glamour #camp #alejandromogolloart https://www.instagram.com/p/CokPMdpIUwM/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
